A. Mission of the University of Wyoming
The following key points stem from the
Mission of the University, adopted or reaffirmed in 2009
(from “Mission Statement, Office of the President”):
This key statement covers all aspects of the University’s commitment to outreach and service that “extend our human talent and technological capacity to service the people in our communities, our state, the nation and the world.”
The elements that stand out include these statements:
1. UW aspires to be one of the nation’s finest public land-grant research universities;
2. UW serves as a state-wide resource for accessible and affordable higher education of the highest quality;
3. UW engages in rigorous scholarship;
4. UW supports “technology transfer”;
5. UW carries out responsible stewardship of Wyoming’s cultural, historical, and natural resources.
6. UW promotes economic and community development.
And, of course, these elements are cast in terms of UW’s primary mission to promote learning through academic and co-curricular opportunities.
The University of Wyoming aspires to be one of the nation's finest public land-grant research universities. We serve as a statewide resource for accessible and affordable higher education of the highest quality; rigorous scholarship; technology transfer; economic and community development; and responsible stewardship of our cultural, historical, and natural resources.
In the exercise of our primary mission to promote learning, we seek to provide academic and co-curricular opportunities that will:
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Expose students to the frontiers of scholarship and creative activity and the complexities of an interdependent world;
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Ensure individual interactions among students, faculty, and staff;
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Nurture an environment that values and manifests diversity, free expression, academic freedom, personal integrity, and mutual respect; and
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Promote opportunities for personal growth, physical health, athletic competition, and leadership development for all members of the university community.
As Wyoming's only university, we are committed to outreach and service that extend our human talent and technological capacity to serve the people in our communities, our state, the nation, and the world.
The primary vehicles for identifying the specific actions and resource allocations needed to accomplish this complex mission are the university's strategic plans, revised periodically.
B. Mission of the University of Wyoming Libraries
According to UW Regulation 7-631, the mission of UW Libraries is stated thus:
“The University Libraries supports the teaching, research, and outreach needs of University students, faculty and staff. They are physical as well as virtual places focused on learning and access to information resources. Additionally, the Libraries are a cultural resource for the University and state in providing access to the intellectual capital of the University. In addition, they shall make available their resources and expertise to our state, nation, and the world.”
This is a clear and compelling statement of the purpose of the Library.
http://www.uwyo.edu/libraries/administrative-office/mission-statement
C. My VISION, an EVOLVING VISION
The mission of the Univesity of Wyoming and University's Libraries inspire my vision. It is, and will be, an evolving vision as times and circumstances will change over the coming years.
In what follows, I will address the six key elements identified in the University's mission statement and imagine how the Librairies could address these elements in expanded or new ways in the coming years.
So, for a few moments, let's "look to the stars...."
